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NEWS BRIEFS | July 10 - August 13, 2015

NO TRASH: League to Save Lake Tahoe staff and volunteers picked up 5,266 pieces of plastic on Lake Tahoe’s beaches, including cups, utensils, lids and other single-use plastic items broken down from the sun. Courtesy photo

FULL STEAM AHEAD: Truckee’s Railyard Project received an $8 million grant for workforce housing from the California Strategic Growth Council. Courtesy image

PADDLE ON: The Lake Tahoe Water Trail helps paddlers understand the interconnected relationship between man and nature, and how to safely navigate and protect Lake Tahoe’s pristine watershed. Photo by Corey Rich/Aurora Photos

BASKET COLLECTION: The North Lake Tahoe Historical Society received a $10,000 grant for its Indian basket collection. Courtesy photo

BE TRANSPARENT: The Incline Village General Improvement District is seeking to be more transparent with a new financial platform, opengov.com. Courtesy photo

Town Wins $8 Million Grant for Railyard Project

TRUCKEE

The Town of Truckee and the Sierra Business Council announced June 30 that the California Strategic Growth Council awarded an $8 million grant to Truckee Railyard Partners. The grant will catalyze the development of 60 units of workforce housing at the Truckee Railyard site immediately adjacent to Truckee’s historic downtown as a part of the larger $100 million private sector revitalization plan for the site. The railyard is the only project in Northern California east of the Central Valley included in the grant awards. Aspects of the application that helped the town and SBC set the railyard apart included increased workforce housing density adjacent to jobs, improved walkability, access to transit, and reduced greenhouse gasses. Rick Holliday, developer of the project, expects to break ground later this summer. Info: truckeerailyard.com

More Than 1,000 Pounds of Trash Picked Up After July Fourth Holiday

TAHOE BASIN

Nearly 300 volunteers picked up trash during the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s post-Independence Day cleanup. Volunteers and staff catalogued debris collected from more than 4.5 miles of Tahoe’s shoreline. League volunteers picked up 1,600 pounds of trash, including 4,053 cigarette butts and 5,266 pieces of plastic such as caps, bottles, utensils, and straws. League volunteers, staff, and their partners cleaned up the shoreline along nine of Tahoe’s beaches: Kiva/Taylor Beach, Tallac Historic Site, Regan Beach, El Dorado Beach, Timber Cover, Nevada Beach, Zephyr Shoals, Kings Beach, and Commons Beach. Info: keeptahoeblue.org

Union Pacific to Install Safety Fence in Downtown

TRUCKEE

Union Pacific Railroad will install a safety fence in July along the downtown corridor from the McIver Crossing roundabout to Bridge Street in Truckee. Crossing railroad tracks in non-designated areas is considered trespassing, punishable by fines or arrest. Last year in California, 154 pedestrians were injured or killed while illegally crossing train tracks, including one in Truckee. Union Pacific Railroad has grown increasingly concerned with the number of pedestrians illegally crossing the tracks downtown. The fence will be aesthetically similar to the depot wrought iron fence. While Union Pacific Railroad does not need town approval to install the fence, it did consult with town officials related to its design.

Fire Restrictions in Effect in Basin

TAHOE BASIN

Fire restrictions on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin began on July 1, and will remain in effect until the official end of fire season. Campfires are restricted to certain exempted recreation sites and other fire-related activities are prohibited. Info: fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/ForestOrders, (530) 543-2694,
(530) 543-2674

Placer Supervisors to Vote on Animal Shelter

KINGS BEACH

On July 21, the Placer County Board of Supervisors will once again vote on whether or not the eastern Placer County Animal Shelter and its services will remain in its current location on National Avenue in Tahoe Vista or be moved to the Town of Truckee in Nevada County. The Friends of Tahoe Vista Animal Shelter have been fundraising to keep the shelter, and ask that Placer residents once again come together as they did in January to support the group as they present their alternative proposal to the board. The board meeting will start at 9 a.m. at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach.

Maps Available for Lake Tahoe Water Trail

LAKE TAHOE

The Lake Tahoe Water Trail is a 72-mile water route along the shoreline segmented into seven day trips, including more than 50 public launch and landing sites or “trailheads,” paddle route itineraries, and navigation tools to help paddlers have a safe and fun adventure. As the only paddling source for Lake Tahoe, the website laketahoewatertrail.org includes water trail maps, paddle routes to match all ability levels, paddle shops, water safety, and aquatic invasive species prevention tips. Seven-day trip maps include details about parking, on-site facilities and amenities, as well as public beach access to nearby hiking trails, restaurants, shopping, historic sites, lodging, and campgrounds.

Input on Tourism Master Plan Needed

NORTH SHORE

The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, in partnership with Placer County, is updating its tourism master plan and needs public input on investment priorities for transportation, events, trails, facilities, and more. These community-driven priorities will help set the direction and allocation of funds for the next 10 years. Take the survey at nttourismplan.org.

NTPUD Reducing Water Consumption

KINGS BEACH

North Tahoe Public Utility District residents reduced residential water consumption by 35 percent in May, compared to May 2013 usage. The district and its customers are required by the state to cut water consumption by 28 percent from 2013 levels. Another mandate requires all water producers to reduce their 2010 water production by 20 percent by the year 2020. The district currently has a reduction of 21.2 percent from 2010 water production levels as compared to 2015 year-to-date usage. The NTPUD is offering a free class, Implementing Micro-irrigation, on Aug. 5 at the North Tahoe Events Center. Info: ntpud.org/conservation

Utility District Offers New Irrigation Efficiency Programs

TRUCKEE

The Truckee Donner Public Utility District is now offering new irrigation efficiency programs to make watering more efficient while maintaining beautiful gardens. Available to qualifying customers, these programs will also help district customers comply with State of California prohibitions against wasting water, which include rules against overspray irrigation and watering for 48 hours after measurable precipitation. The following are outdoor water saving programs offered by the district: a free wired rain sensor, up to a $20 rebate to install a wireless rain sensor, and an additional rebate of up to $50 when a rain sensor is installed by a professional with an irrigation system tune-up. Info: (530) 582-3931, tdpud.org/departments/conservation

Sign up for Emergency Notification Alerts

PLACER COUNTY

With four years of drought battering the region and hot temperatures further drying already parched flora, wildfires are a real danger for Placer County. All public safety agencies in Sacramento, Yolo, and Placer counties have partnered to have a state-of-the-art community notification system — Everbridge — which enables county agencies to quickly provide the public with critical information for a variety of situations, including fires and evacuations. Sign up at member.everbridge.net/index/453003085611271#/login.

Grant Received to Continue Basket Exhibit

TAHOE CITY

An anonymous donor awarded the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society $10,000 to continue work on the new Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Collection Exhibit. The historical society recently placed individual identification labels for most of the baskets and are still working on the regional interpretations and cataloging the artifacts. To help catalog, contact Rebecca at (530) 583-1762.

Tahoe Fund Receives Donation from Vail Customers

TAHOE BASIN

The Tahoe Fund received a donation of $64,650 from Vail Resorts to help further its mission to restore and enhance the Lake Tahoe environment. The donation is a result of contributions from guests at Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood, who gifted a dollar when purchasing online lift tickets, season passes, lodging, and rounds of golf during the 2014-2015 ski season. Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund inspires the private community to support environmental projects that will improve lake clarity, enhance recreation, and inspire environmental stewardship in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Info: tahoefund.org

IVGID Launches the First Interactive Financial Transparency Platform in Nevada

INCLINE VILLAGE

The Incline Village General Improvement District in June launched a financial analysis platform powered by opengov.com that provides residents, elected officials, and staff unprecedented access to the district’s finances. This web-based platform transforms volumes of raw financial data into an interactive, digital format. The intuitive interface makes it easier to explore how taxpayer money is collected and spent. Info: yourtahoeplace.com/ivgid/financial-transparency

Nevada County LAFCO Seeks Members

NEVADA COUNTY

The Local Agency Formation Commission of Nevada County has extended the recruitment period and is accepting applications for the commission’s public and alternate public member positions. The term of office will be from the date of appointment to May 2019. Alternate members participate in all discussions, may be appointed to committees, and receive stipends and mileage reimbursements for meetings. To apply, send a letter to the Nevada LAFCO executive officer explaining why you are interested in serving and what education or experience you have that qualifies you for the position. Letters must be received by Fri., Aug. 14. Applicants will be interviewed by the commission at its Sept. 17 meeting. Info: 950 Maidu Ave., Nevada City, CA, 95959, SR Jones, (530) 265-7180, sr.jones@co.nevada.ca.us

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